Chapter 6

It amazed her that the people of the Eyrotian fisherman village did not treat her any different from them. According to what Ramus told her there were used to seeing merchants of various colors come to the village to trade for salt. The only special treatment she received was from the children who wanted to play with her hair. She let them braid her hair while the women worked all day until the sun began to set. As the sun was going down behind the clouds the smell of cooking filled the air. Spicy aromas filled the air making her mouth water. The men who had gone into their buildings to rest before came outside and sat in chairs made of cane. When the women were done cooking they brought the pots and bowls together and everyone say in a ring to eat. The harmony and communalism with which they lived were foreign to Helena. They dished food in every pot regardless of whose it was.

Demeus selected a bowl for her and dished some spicy soup in it. She accepted it with a smile and went to sit at one side of the ring where a woman was beckoning to her. The woman, a tall dark figure with thick dark curly hair done in braids made some space for her to sit. She smiled at her.

“Welcome to our humble village,” the woman said in greeting to her.

Helena smiled and returned the greeting. She took a bit of the soup and scalded her tongue because of the hotness. The woman laughed lightly and explained that she was supposed to blow on the surface of the soup first before eating from it. Helena followed her instructions and savored the delicious taste of the meal. It contained a lot of spice and flavors, none of which she had ever tasted.

“I am Likia, Banjo’s wife. I must apologize for my husband’s behavior, the men spoke about it when they came in.”

Helena nodded. “There is nothing to apologize for. He did not cause me any harm. He,” she nodded to where Demeus sat with his bowl, “stopped him before he could cause me any harm.”

A small smile lifted Likia’s full lips. “Ramus? He is a strange one. No one really understands him. He comes and goes whenever he likes but he is a good man.” She leaned in. “You are a merchant’s daughter.”

Helena raised her brow.

“The men talk too much. They say you want to explore Eyrotia. It can be a very difficult thing to do seeing as you are a beautiful woman who is alone. You will need a protector.”

Automatically, Helena’s eyes went to where he sat again. He was laughing at something his men said, he looked relaxed and his white teeth caught the light of the fire that blazed in their midst. Even in his unguarded state, he was still the most handsome man she has ever seen.

“You like him.” It was a statement, not a question still Helena thought it better to argue the obvious.

“No, I do not.”

Likia laughed loud and long. Helena was grateful that the others were too busy eating and talking to pay them any attention.

“Helena, no woman stares at a man the way you do unless she fancies him.” She leaned in closer. “Likewise no man stares at a woman unless he is fascinated by her.” She nodded in the direction of Demeus again. This time when Helena looked in his direction her breath caught in her throat at the way he looked at her. Embarrassed, she looked away and stared at her toes.

“You are mistaken, Likia,” she said weakly.

Likia shrugged but to Helena’s gratitude she let the subject rest and they are in silence. Once they were done eating the little children cleared the bowls and pots but the men and women remained, telling stories and laughing. Through it all, Helena did her best not to glance at Demeus again for fear that she would catch him looking at her. She knew he glanced at her from time to time, she felt his eyes on her whenever he did and it gave her some sort of pleasure that she affected him as much as he did her.

By midnight some of the men were beginning to dose off. Their wives stood up and helped them to their buildings one by one until the only people left were Banjo, Likia, Demeus, and herself. Likia soon stood up and with a look that held silent communication held her hand to her husband who took it, announced that his body was weak from the day’s work, and they both left leaving Helena alone with Demeus.

Her heart began to beat so loud she feared he would hear in the silence of the night. The night was not so silent, muffled moans came from closed doors making the situation of things unbearable for Helena. The presence of Ramus across from her and the moans and groans from the closed doors made her blood run hot. If she could just run or turn the hands of time. How did she get herself in such a situation?

“Are you sleepy?” Demeus asked softly.

She was but she knew that there was nowhere she could sleep. The only room with one occupant was Ramus’ and she didn’t trust herself to share the room with him without stripping herself of her clothes and baring herself to him.

When she refused to answer Demeus stood up and walked to where she sat. He knew what she and Likia had talked about. Curse the woman and her insight! If he did not know better he would swear that she was a seer or a goddess. This was not her first attempt at matchmaking him with someone but this time she was right, he was fascinated by Helena. He longed to touch the braids which the children made with her hair but he didn’t want to scare her.

“You can have my hut if you want to.”

“Where will you sleep?” Helena asked. She was proud of the firmness of her voice.

“I don’t suppose you will let me share the room with you?”

When she replied him with a withering glance he laughed.

“Don’t worry about me. I can handle a cold night.”

He stood up. “Come,” he said in that sinful baritone of his that made her want to do equally sinful things with him. She stood and let him lead her to the hut.

At the door of it, he stepped aside and let her go in but before she closed the door he said.

“Maybe tomorrow I can help you with your mission to know more about Eyrotia?”

She nodded. “That will be nice. Likia told me I would need a protector for that.” And she also said other things that Helena would not admit to.

“She is right.” He stepped away from the door and with a hand on his muscular chest bowed slightly. “Till tomorrow, Helena.”